March 24, 2004

There Is Light...

...at the end of the tunnel...

Woody was hired today for a full time job as a security guard in Kailua-Kona. He will be standing guard at a "transfer station" ie the dump site. He has to make sure that people are not dumping illegal stuff, and are behaving themselves. ( We had a man drag a sick cow and leave her at the dump a month ago. The guard there was the first responder to the tragedy and called the police and held the man under a citizens arrest. The cow died. the guy got a suspended sentence, but that is another days blogging...)Pay is good but we have to work out where he will be staying as they work a 12 hour shift, 3 days a week and its nearly a 3 hour drive from home. He's being paid enough that we may be able to find a place for him to sleep two nights a week. I will miss him the time he is not here but the guard company that hired him also has the contract for the University and the major hotels on this side of the island and felt that with the usual turnover he might get full time work in Hilo in 2-4 months. Another important thing, with all of the security issues in a tourist area, this is a growing job market and one that he will be able to continue to do as he gets older. He will be 55 in July.

When I saw the uniform shirts in his hand I nearly cried. It is such a relief to know that he is going to be working.

We are having more very stormy weather. Over the last 48 hours we have had 8 or more inches of rain and none stop snow on Mauna Kea. Only had two ladies in the store but had a little sale. Something everyday is keeping me going.

Its going to take ajusting, but I am also thinking that the time away from each other will be a good thing too. Woody gets to see more of the island and he loves that side a lot. Drier, and more desert like which he prefers. I cant take the air pollution there or we'd have likely moved.

Now if I can just keep the lights on till the paychecks start coming in.